The history of my annual physicals at work:
When i started back in 1988, there was a plant physician who was on site like 3 days a week with 2 nurses and a hot receptionist. The set up at the time was a health services area with several rooms inside the main building. The doctor's office had its own bathroom.
Traditionally the annual physicals were done in 2 parts, originally about a week apart. The first part was done primarily with a nurse. She collected a urine sample & drew blood to be tested. Then BP, eye exams (open/closed circles, depth perception, line through musical notes, number hidden in the circles, etc), the breath thing which creates a graph of your long exhale, hearing, glaucoma, etc.
Back then it took about a week for blood & urine results to come back, so they scheduled part 2 accordingly. I'd be taken back to the doctor's office. He would be sitting at his desk waiting. He'd tell me to go in the bathroom & strip down to my "undies". I'd come out, hop up on the exam table wearing nothing but my briefs, no gown. I'd get the whole "stick out your tongue", eyes, ears, throat, check. While sitting up, he'd steth my chest, heart, back, asking me to take deep breaths as he went along. Then he would ask me to lie back for him.
As i lie there, staring at the ceiling, I could feel my abs being palpated, lower & lower. Suddenly, I would feel the waistband of my briefs being sometimes lifted, sometimes lowered. I'd feel his pressing on my inguinal canal, as I'd be asked to cough. One time I turned my head while I coughed & it messed him up so he goes "Again?" LOL
Afterwards, he would restore my briefs and say "Ok, you're all set, you can get dressed.", followed by the sound of the sink water running as he'd wash his hands. i think he may have done my reflexes too.
Eventually trailers were set up in the back of the campus & Health Services was moved back there into them. It had a separate exam room with 2 doors for Part 2, One door came from the hallway, the other from the doctor's office. As the nurse left you there, she'd say "everything off except your shorts". And it would be the same process. Somewhere around the mid 90's, there would be a folded new disposable gown waiting on the exam table, which I never wore. During the last 2 years that this original plant physician was around, he went a step further when he'd lower my shorts, & he'd feel my testicles to check for testicular cancer. i enjoyed the spontaneity of his fingers on my balls with no heads up. This would become the height of my medfet.
When subsequent doctors later took over, i would stand and be asked to lower my boxers for the hernia test. (switched to boxers, as briefs had begun to give me rashes, especially in the summer). I'd be asked if i wanted to be checked for testicular cancer. One time, I waived it, saying my weekly masseuses check for me. Other times, i'd accept, be advised that i really should do it myself monthly, and respond by saying that i should probably have a professional opinion once in a while. Once I mentioned that i thought i had been feeling something, so when he checked, regardless of if he felt something odd or not, he assured me it may have just been built up semen. Made sense, as i usually felt it while i'd be jackin.
Since i'd mention on the form (& verbally when asked) that my dad passed away from prostate cancer at 62, they started offering me prostate screenings around my mid 40's. i would be standing, facing the table, leaning onto it.
Over the years, in an effort to create cost savings, the company cut down on what it did during annual physicals. part 1 became just blood, urine, bp, & eye exam. 2 nurses became down to 1. The onsite doctor was replaced with a lady nurse practitioner who would do the Part 2 of the physicals, the first year. Then the 2nd year, we just sat in the office & went over blood & urine results, as i was urged to start looking for my own primary care. When she did the physicals in the first year, she offered me a genital exam. I waited for her nude with the folded gown as a drape over my genitalia. She did the prostate check as well.
I recently completed my 1st year at another site, and am curious to see what the process is at a site of 5,000 employees, vs where i had spent over 26 years at a site of no more than 500. In the meantime, i've been researching for a primary care doc, & at some point need to make time to sched a physical. But workaholism has made accomplishing anything else a challenge, where my typical workday for the past several months has been on average 7:30 AM to 11 PM, followed by an hour ride home. Yes, it's being addressed.